Sheet holding attachment for typewriters



April 9, 1957 v. w. BYARS SHEET HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed June 30, 1955 Ver/e I4! Byars INVENTOR ATTORNEY SHEET HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Verle W. Byars, Abilene, Tex.

Application June 30, 1955, Serial No. 519,044

Claims. (Cl. 197-128) This invention relates to attachments for typewriters and more particularly to an attachment by which an ordinary typewriter may be used for bookkeeping.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive medium by which an ordinary typewriter may be quickly and conveniently converted to bookkeeping use and which performs many of the functions of expensive accounting machines, some to better advantage as, for example, elimination of car bon paper; visibility of posted items; saving in paper costs and many other advantages depending upon specific bookkeeping requirements.

Another object of the invention is to simplify bookkeeping over the conventional handwritten systems by virtue of the hereindescribed attachment, the use of which requires no exceptional skill beyond that possessed by bookkeeping typists.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character set forth which consists of two or more spring steel bands engaging the underside of the platen of a typewriter, the forward ends of the bands being attached to the paper hold-down bar, while the rear ends of these bands are attached to an elongate coil spring generally parallel and coextensive with the platen and whose ends are secured by suitable brackets mounted on the typewriter frame. Because of the tension imposed on the bands by the coil spring, a permanent hank record sheet is firmly held between the platen and bands while collated ledger sheets are slipped into and out of the machine outside of the bands by actuating the pressure roller release lever of the typewriter without disturbing the bank record sheet which remains in the machine until all items are posted.

Other objects will become manifest as the description proceeds when considered with the annexed drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a conventional typewriter showing the invention installed thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the right side of the typewriter showing the bookkeeping record sheets in position therein, and

Figure 3 is .a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of the invention. a

The use of thin steel bands for holding paper sheets against a platen is well known as applied to accounting machines. However, for the most part, the bands as used in accounting machines are adapted to guide and retain one or more sheets of paper and there is no known means by which these bands may be held under constant tension so that they will be effective to firmly hold one sheet of paper, as required of the attachment described herein. Moreover, in some cases, provision is made for moving these bands away from the platen, while in the present case, the bands are necessarily held under spring tension against the platen at all times to insure against displacement of a single sheet of paper, usually the bank n ted States Patent 0 'ice record, which remains in the typewriter until filled with items transferred thereto by the carbon on the backs of account sheets fed into the machine outside the bands and collated with the said bank record sheet.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes generally a conventional typewriter having the usual platen 11, paper table 12, pressure rollers 13, feed rollers 14 and paper hold-down bar or bail 15. Since the function of all of the elements of the typewriter shown in the drawing is well known, it is not considered necessary to describe these elements and their function except in cases where such function affects the mounting and performance of the invention.

The present invention includes a pair of thin spring steel bands 16, each of which has mounted on one end a hook 17 and a like hook 18 is similarly attached to or formed on the opposite end of each band 16. The hooks 17 of the bands are engaged over the bail 15 in the manner shown and the bands 16, in spaced apart relationship, are passed under the platen 11 and the hooks 18 are engaged over an elongate coil spring 19.

The coil spring 19 is stretched between two mounting brackets 20 and 21 which may be of any shape or form best suited to the particular make of typewriter on which the attachment is to function. For purposes of illustration, the brackets 20 and 21 are identical and each consists of a metal strip having an outwardly and upwardly turned end 22 which engages one side of an arm 23 of the bail 15 while a set screw 24 passes through a threaded opening in the strip and engages the opposite side of the arm 23. One end of the coil spring 19 engages an aperture 25 in the bracket 20 while the opposide end of the spring is connected to the companion bracket 21 through an aperture 26 in the top thereof.

In mounting the bands 16 on the platen 11, it is necessary that they be passed around the platen at one end or the other and slide the desired distance inwardly, taking care that the bands will not foul the front guide rollers 14. The bands must be between these rollers and remain in snug engagement with the platen 11, held so by the tension exerted thereon by the coil spring 19.

When the attachment is to be put into use, typewriter paper 27, lined for the separation of items, debits, credits and balance, is fed into the typewriter carriage (Figure 2) between the platen 11 and the retaining bands 16 which hold the paper firmly against theplaten because of the tension imposed thereon by the coil spring 19.

A second sheet 28 of typewriter paper, preferably the type having transfer material on its back, such as produced by National Cash Register Company, is fed into the carriage after moving the release lever 29 to retract the pressure rollers 13 from their position against the platen 11 so that the sheet 28 will slide freely under the bands 16, as shown.

After the second sheet of paper is inserted as described, the rollers 13 are restored to operative position so that the collated sheets 27 and 28 Will move simultaneously when the platen 11 is rotated. On the account sheet 28 is typed the subject matter relating to the particular account represented by the sheet 28 and which is transferred to the bank account sheet 27 with a single typing whereas hand written records require two operations, hence a saving of at least half the time consumed in handwritten journals and ledgers.

When the required list of items, debits and credits are typewritten on the sheet 28, this sheet is removed by again retracting the pressure rollers 13 and sliding the paper freely from the carriage. It will be observed that the bands 16 and spring 19 prevent the bank record sheet 27 from being disturbed while sheet after sheet of accounts are being fed into and removed from the typewriter and only until the bank record sheet '27 is completely filled is it required to be removed from the machine. 1

It is obvious from the foregoing that books kept through the use of the described attachment are automatically in balance because the bank account represented on the sheet 27 is a reproduction of the material imprinted on the sheets 28. To strike a trial balance, it is necessary only to add the accumulated debits and credits of all accounts and enter the balances on each account.

In Figure 3 is shown a modified form of the invention wherein a rigid member in the form of a rod 30 takes the place of the coil spring 19 of the invention in the form earlier descrbed. The ends of the rod.30 are attached n any suitable manner to brackets 31, only one of which is fragmentarily shown in Figure 3, which are mounted on a typewriter inla manner like that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

To provide yieldability necessary in the spring steel hands 32, of which one is'shown in Figure 3, a coil spring 33 is incorporated in the length of the hand, one end being connected to one end of a section 34 of the band while the opposite end of the spring is connected to one end of a section 35 thereof. Thesection 35 is formed into a hook 36 which engages over the rod 30 while a hook 37 is formed on or attached to the opposite end of the section 34 of the band to engage the bail 15 of the typewriter.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also-considered to be Within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typewriter having a platen and paper hold down bar, a bookkeeping attachment for said typewriter comprising a plurality of spring steel bands partially surrounding said platen, each having a hook on each end, one of said hooks engaging said hold down bar, a bracket mounted on the frame ofsaid typewriter rearwardly of and adjacent each end of said platen, and a coil spring stretched between said brackets with which the other hooks on the opposite ends of said bands are engaged in relatively spaced relationship to maintain a constant tension on said bands.

2. In a typewriter having a platen and paper holddown bar, a bookkeeping attachment for said typewriter comprising a bracket mounted on the frame of said typewriter rearwardly of and adjacent each end of said platen, a resilient member stretched between said brackets and having its ends connected to said brackets, and a plurality of bands extending under said platen in longitudinally spaced relationship thereon, said bands each having a hook on each end, one of said hooks engaging said hold-down bar, the other of said hooks engaging said resilient member intermediate its ends, said resilient member maintaining constant tension on said bands to hold the same in frictional engagement with said platen.

in a typewriter having a platen, a paper hold down bar and pressure rollers engaging said platen, a plurality of bands partially surrounding said platen, each engaging said hold-down bar at their forward ends in longitudinally spaced apart relationship, an elastic member supported on the frame of said typewriter rearwardly of and normally parallel with said platen with which the rear ends of said bands engage, said elastic member being effective to hold said bands frictionally against a sheet of paper between said bands and said platen, and means car ried by said typewriter for retracting said pressure rollers to admit a second sheet of paper freely between said bands and said pressure rollers.

4. In a typewriter having a platen and a paper holddown bar, a plurality of bands encircling said platen for the reception of a sheet of paper between said bands and said platen, means carried by the forward ends of said hands for releasable engagement with said hold-down bar, and a coil spring substantially coextensive with the longitudinal axis of said platen and connected at its ends to said typewritcr rearwardly of said platen for holding said bands yieldingly against said platen.

5. In a typewriter having a platen and a paper holddown bar, a plurality of bands partially encircling said platen for the reception of a sheet of paper between said bands and said platen. means carried by the forward ends of said bands for attachment to said hold-down bar, a coil spring supported on the frame of said typewriter and coextensive with said platen to which the rear ends of said bands are attached for maintaining tension on said bands to hold said sheet of paper snugly against said platen, and means rigid with the frame of said typewriter for holding said coil spring under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

